Call Your Senator: Stand up for Public Education and #DumpDeVos

The pressure to stop Trump’s billionaire nominee for Secretary of Education from being confirmed is working. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), just announced that they will oppose Betsy DeVos’ confirmation.

That means that we’re just ONE vote short from blocking DeVos’ confirmation altogether. We need to keep up the pressure more than ever to sway one more senator to vote against DeVos.

There’s no time to waste. The full Senate will take a final vote on DeVos on Tuesday. If you live inArizona, Kansas, Ohio, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania or West Virginia –your senator is undecided. Please make a call ASAP to their office to encourage them to #DumpDeVos.

Call 1-855-882-6229 to get connected to your senator’s Washington, D.C. office or check below for district office phone numbers for your senator.

Hi, my name is (NAME). As a concerned constituent from (YOUR STATE), I urge the senator to oppose Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos. Her confirmation hearing proved that she lacks both the experience and qualifications to lead the Department of Education. She should not be put in charge of students and our schools. She has zero experience with public education, and spent millions dismantling and defunding public schools. Students deserve better. We need a Secretary of Education who will help to improve success for all students, including creating more opportunities and equity for all. Thanks for taking my call.

DeVos, a billionaire lobbyist, and political donor, has zero experience with public schools – not as an educator, a school board member, a student, or even as a parent – and has spent her career defunding and dismantling public education. DeVos bankrolled and lobbied for failed schemes like voucher programs, which take money away from public schools to fund private schools at taxpayers’ expense, and with little to no accountability. She designed Detroit’s failed charter school program, which harmed already vulnerable students. DeVos even lacks experience in higher education and holds controversial positions on students with disabilities and student loans.

If you agree we need an experienced, highly qualified Secretary of Education who actually wants to improve success for ALL students and invest in public schools, raise your voice with us now!

Furaha Youngblood

The numbers that I called for Senator Tillis to voice my opposition to DeVos, were busy. I was only able to leave a voicemail at the D.C. number.

Richard Luken

Here is an argument that is not based
on the fact that she is unqualified for the position; rather, it is
based on the fact that she is morally unfit for an executive
position. Ms DeVos led a group that broke Oho law. Voting for
her means voting to give a cabinet post to an unrepentant
lawbreaker.

Major Premise:Unrepentant lawbreakers should not
be given cabinet posts.

Minor Premise: Betsy DeVos is an
unrepentant lawbreaker. *

Conclusion: Betsy DeVos should not
be given a cabinet post.

*Evidence of the truth of the minor
premise:

All Children Matter Inc. was directed
by Ms. Betsy DeVos. This PAC willfully violated Ohio election law
after being informed of its provisions. Ms. DeVos and her group knew
the law. They were informed of its provisions by the Ohio Election
Commission. The group she led then willfully chose to break the law
in 2006. In 2008, the bipartisan Ohio Elections Commission voted 5-0
that the PAC led by Ms. DeVos had violated Ohio election law, and
imposed a fine. In 2010 he group she led challenged the ruling of the
Ohio Elections Commission in the Franklin County Court of Appeals.
The court denied the appeal and upheld the fine the commission had
imposed for breaking Ohio law. She and her group tried to appeal
that ruling, but the Ohio Supreme Court refused to hear the case. In
2012 the Ohio Attorney General went to court in an attempt to collect
the fines Ms. DeVos’ group owed for breaking Ohio law. Franklin
County Common Pleas Court Judge Daniel T. Hogan gave judgment
ordering the PAC Ms. DeVos was in charge of to pay the fines it owed
for breaking Ohio law. He also ordered that the amount of the fine be
increased by $25 a day from Oct. 26, 2006, until the judgment for
breaking Ohio law was paid.. The lawbreaking organization Ms. DeVos
headed has refused to pay the fines it owes to the state of Ohio.
Betsey DeVos cannot be held personally responsible for paying to the
state of Ohio the fines owed by the lawbreaking organization she
led, but she must be held morally responsible for their lawbreaking,
and for guiding them in their evasion of taking responsibility and
paying the penalty imposed for breaking Ohio law.